The Death of Todd
by ErikadeCarpentier
Summary: In an alternative ending, Mr. Sweeney Todd tries to take his knife to a child. His business partner is forever torn, but will she follow her instincts, or act in love once again?


p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; text-align: center; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"Even by Fleet Street standards, the day wasn't the best./p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"Mrs. Nellie A. Lovett had her attention divided between three children – four if you counted her business partner and five if you counted her actual job. So, rightfully, the woman considered it her natural born right to drink four doses of laudanum, a bottle of gin, and conk off for the night./p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; text-align: center; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; text-align: center; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"Mr. Benjamin Barker didn't think so./p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"The barber had obviously had a few and, by the time that he stormed into the sitting room, so had his associate. To top it off, the infant Cassie was crying for attention in Lenora's room. The older children were in the shop, trying to help their world-weary mother before she worked herself to death. That would take all of ten minutes, given her current state./p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; text-align: center; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; text-align: center; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"A storm was brewing./p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;""There're four sets that need to be butchered." He glared at her for a moment and then started to walk to his own bedchamber under the assumption that his words would be heeded without a second thought./p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; text-align: center; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"br /Not tonight./p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"Nellie pushed herself from the Cleopatra and squinted at him for a second before muttering, "I'll get it in the mornin', Mista T." She went back to her bottle and stared at the opposite wall, hoping that it'd be the end of it. Not tonight./p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"The Barber froze in his tracks and turned on the spot to look at her. "Maybe you didn't 'ear me. Four. Sets. Now." He gripped the arm of the chaise that Lovett laid down on, glaring straight at her./p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; text-align: center; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; text-align: center; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"She glared back./p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;""I've been slavin' down there all day, I've already done three sets an I dunno if ya've noticed but they're no spring 'ens. I'll butcha in the mornin'. T'night I sleep."/p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; text-align: center; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;""NOW!" Yelled the barber and smacked her across the face./p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"The startled children peeked in around opposite sides of the doorframe. Though neither Lenora nor Tobias appreciated Todd's presence in the house, he'd never physically assaulted their mother before. If they had their way, he never would again./p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"Nellie was shocked as well. She closed her eyes and remembered Danny and Nancy. They'd taken out blokes twice his size… She wouldn't fight. She didn't want to fight. She loved him. But she wasn't going to take this abuse drunk and tired./p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; text-align: center; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; text-align: center; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;""No. You'll wait." She said and, the next time the hand came down, she caught it./p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"Todd seemed surprised by the maneuver – he'd never taken much stock in the short woman. He'd never cared to ask her about her life, never listened to her inevitable ramblings about her Albert and life before him. Perhaps he'd have been better off listening./p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"Nellie fixed him with a look and, though she did not give him his left hand back, she did not make another move. "If ya wonna work me li' a slave, I suggest ya replace m'silver wif gold." She said, the turn of phrase that usually sounded such joy turning cold in the air. She glanced at her left hand and then back to him, a neutral look on her face but not in her eyes. It was time for him to make it or break it./p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"The devil laughed. For the first time that Nellie had heard, he laughed. "You're no Lucy, Mrs. Lovett." He sneered and pulled his razor on her. In a flash, he'd slashed from the corner of her left eye all the way back to her ear./p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"Toby let out a cry of shock, horror, and anger. Nobody hurt his mum, never no how! Todd swiftly turned around and smirked; his eyes glinted evilly. He walked over to the boy and reached out for his neck./p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"Nellie had been preoccupied with her own problems, but when she saw the barber going after her son… Well, something snapped./p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"With a screech and a kitchen knife she kept in her corset, she jumped the man from behind. Lenora looked on with wide eyes, half wanting to join in on the beating and half wanting to find a bobby. Toby, however, ran into the kitchen and grabbed a rolling pin. He'd wanted to do this since the day Mrs. Lovett had taken him in; Todd never treated her right, not the way a lady oughta be treated./p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"Nellie didn't waste time with it though. Romance was fine when it existed, but a fleeting dream didn't stand a chance against a mother fighting for her pups. br /br /Todd reeled back, surprised by the sneak attack and attempted to dig into Nellie's back with his silver, but her skills were too honed, her stance too close, and her tin too sharp./p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"She ran the tin knife from his neck right down to his bloody heart. She threw the body down in shock and disgust, her eyes wide and her breathing heavy. Toby ran back just in time for the man to give his last convulsions./p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"The daughter's eyes were as wide as saucers. She knew her mother was a cutpurse and an occasional burglar in her youth, but a murderer… Well… It was self-defense…/p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"Nellie didn't see the children. She only saw the twitching body. She crouched down, devil may care about her knees, and whispered in his ear, "I may no' be Lucy… But you're no Albert, Benjamin Barka."/p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; text-align: center; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"That was the last thing he heard./p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"Toby looked at his adopted sister to mother and, being the youngest, started to cry. Yes he was raised on the streets, worked in a poorhouse, and treated to bloody knuckles a la street mountedbank… But he was frightened. And now he had someone, someone who protected his life to the end./p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"Without hesitation, the slightly bloodied woman took him into her arms and stroked his hair. Though she was crying as well, she had to be the adult. She hushed him and whispered, "Nothin's gonna 'arm you, Toby… You neitha, Lenora…" She looked up to her daughter who slowly pointed to her mother's face. The baker gave a care-worn smile and just shook her head./p  
p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 16.7999992370605px; min-height: 1em; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 21.8399982452393px; text-align: center; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;""It's one scar among many, dear… I'll fix it lata."/p 


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